Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s owners Stan Kroenke and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham have apologised to him and the players for the “mistake” of signing up for the European Super League.
The Spaniard that the situation underlined that the game’s soul belongs to the supporters, who he praised for sending “the biggest message in the history of football”.
Arsenal were among the 12 clubs who joined the ill-fated breakaway but Arteta, who was not part of the decision and who, like his managerial peers, was only informed on Sunday, said it has had “terrible consequences”.
Arteta claimed that Arsenal’s power brokers had been operating with the best intentions but Venkatesham has reportedly been ringing the other 14 Premier League clubs who were not involved to say sorry.
And Arteta revealed that he had also received apologies “starting from Vinai, the ownership and everybody that is involved.”
He explained: “The way it has been handled, obviously, has had terrible consequences and that it was a mistake. They apologised for disturbing the team and for not having the capacity and the ability to communicate in a different way earlier. The way it [the apology] has been handled has been really good internally.”
Arteta insisted he did not have time to form a view on the Super League, but said he was opposed to any kind of closed shop.
“I think the competition and the ability to participate has to be earned and that has to be earned on the pitch. I will always believe and defend that. But before I could start to have any opinion on it, the competition was dead already. Everything was completely out of control and the world reacted in a really unified manner. A big tsunami already came on to it and basically killed it.”
Kroenke has acquired the nickname ‘Silent Stan’ for his reluctance to speak in public but Arteta said: “I can talk from my experience as a player, a captain and now as a manager. We have always had great communication and full support from the ownership.
“I know the people who work in the organisation. First, they are very caring for the interests of the football club and second, they are very intelligent and professional people. So I’m sure that they had the right reasons to start something, but it clearly didn’t work or it wasn’t the right time or it wasn’t done in the right way.
Arsenal 1 Fulham 1: player ratings
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ARSENAL RATINGS: Mat Ryan - 7: Making his home debut, goalkeeper on loan from Brighton was wrong-footed by Holding deflection on Maja shot in first half and was relieved to see ball trickle centimetres wide. Apart from that, what little he had to do, he did well and even played role in winner after joining the last-gasp Arsenal attack, with flicked header from corner. AFP -
Hector Bellerin - 7: Captain provided good cross from right in opening few minutes that caused problems in the Fulham defence. Perfect ball for countryman Ceballos to head home five minutes before break only for VAR to intervene. Headed chance wide in second half. Solid defensively, although not exactly up against much of a threat. EPA -
Gabriel - 6: Scored debut goal against Fulham on opening weekend of season but was happy to keep things tight at back for Gunners this time round. In total control until just before hour mark when a slight clip on Lemina in box gave Fulham a penalty. PA -
Rob Holding - 7: Deflected Maja shot just wide of target after 20 minutes. Hardly troubled by Fulham attack although was lucky not to be caught in possession dribbling out from back in last 20 minutes. EPA -
Granit Xhaka - 8: Making 150th Premier League appearance. Playing at left-back once again in absence of Kieran Tierney and looked like he’d played there all his career. Some trademark crunching tackles and a fine game from the Swiss. AFP -
Dani Ceballos - 7: Screamed for Martinelli to leave ball in box early on when better placed only for teammate to take shot on himself and see strike saved. Then denied his first Premier League goal just before break, this time when VAR disallowed his fine header because Saka’s big toe was offside. Getty -
Mohamed Elneny - 6: Egyptian midfielder was efficient playing in screening role in front of defence. Guilty of not releasing ball quickly enough to teammates and slowing down attacks on occasions. AFP -
Bukayo Saka - 7: So difficult to mark as he drifts across pitch, always linking well with teammates, always a menace to Fulham. End of foot being in offside position cost Ceballos a goal. Skinned Robinson down right just after half-time and saw miss-hit cross his top of post. Saw curling effort drift just wide with a couple of minutes to go. PA -
Emile Smith Rowe - 6: At the heart of Arsenal’s early dominance with some lovely touches and passes. Couldn’t keep shot down after being played in by Ceballos on edge of box 20 minutes in. Influence waned as match went on. AFP -
Gabriel Martinelli - 8: Two chances in opening 10 minutes. Brazilian lobbed first chance just wide after just one minute after through-ball by Lacazette, then saw low shot on turn saved well by Areola. Supplied some excellent balls into box in second half, one of which nearly ended up with a goal for Pepe. Had another shot saved by Areola late on and performance deserved a goal. Reuters -
Alexandre Lacazette - 7: Perfect ball over defence in opening minute to put Martinelli in on goal but teammate lobbed chance wide. French striker only fired first shot in anger a minute after half-time but his low strike from outside area flew a couple of metres off target. Pulled up with hamstring problem with 20 minutes to go which will be major concern for Arsenal. Reuters -
SUBS: Nicolas Pepe – (On for Bellerin 68’) 6: Nearly scored minutes after coming on but saw header saved by Areola. Getty -
Thomas Partey – (On for Elneny 67’) 6: Helped keep the pressure and delivered one fine ball into box that Fulham only just scrambled away for corner. Getty -
Eddie Nketiah – (On for Lacazette 70’) 7: Had one shot blocked by Reed and then tapped home from close range to earn Arsenal point in game they should have won comfortably. PA -
FULHAM RATINGS; Alphonse Areola - 8: Fine one-handed save low down from Martinelli in opening 10 minutes. Saw ball hit back of his net twice in first half but linesman’s flag and VAR came to rescue. Fine reaction save with leg from point-blank range to deny substitute Pepe goal from header. Another more routine stop to deny Martinelli in last minute. Yellow card for time-wasting. Reuters -
Ola Aina - 6: Right-back struggled to contain Martinelli and Arsenal in opening quarter and gave Brazilian too much time on ball. Stuck to task but always seemed on back foot. Reuters -
Joachim Andersen - 6: Danish captain caught in no man’s land in opening minutes when Smith Rowe cut back ball from byline and was left on knees after failing to cut out pass. Deflected into own net just before half-time but lineman’s flag had already gone up for offside. One superbly timed intervention on cross in second half with Martinelli ready to pounce. Defender on loan from Lyon was booked for foul on Xhaka. PA -
Tosin Adarabioyo - 6: Caught ball watching after 67 minutes when Bellerin was allowed free header in centre of penalty area. Important clearance from inside six-yard box after Areola saved Pepe header. Reuters -
Antonee Robinson - 5: American left-back, like rest of defence, struggled to cope with Arsenal at start before regaining semblance of control. Left for dead by Saka’s trickery just after half-time. At least offered Fulham an outlet down his flank. Reuters -
Ademola Lookman - 6: Only Fulham player to look remotely threatening in opening half without ever causing any major problems for Arsenal backline. Sacrificed with 20 minutes to go as Fulham tried to shut-up shop. PA -
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa - 6: Some driving runs out of midfield but no cutting edge to final balls. Provided Fulham with some midfield energy. AFP -
Mario Lemina - 5: Gabonese midfielder was anonymous in first half but saw run into box checked by Gabriel, although with minimal contact, to earn Fulham penalty for their goal just before hour mark. Backed out of tackle in injury-time when more bravery was needed. Reuters -
Bobby De Cordova-Reid - 4: Fulham top scorer this season with seven goals was up against a makeshift left-back in Xhaka but got little joy out of the Swiss and even when he did find a bit of room, his crossing was poor. Booked for foul on Ceballos and gave away corner for late leveller. EPA -
Ivan Cavaleiro - 4: Like rest of Fulham attack, Portuguese offered no threat in attack. Sloppy with distribution at times as well. Reuters -
Josh Maja - 6: Former Sunderland and Bordeaux striker saw his miss-hit shot deflect off Holding and trundle agonisingly wide for a corner in first half. Drilled penalty into roof of net to put Fulham in front from only shot on target they had in entire game. EPA -
SUBS: Harrison Reid – (On for Lookman 69’) 7: Excellent after coming on and helped maintain Fulham resistance, including superb block on Nketiah shot, until late heartbreak. Reuters -
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - (On for Maja 77’) N/A. Reuters -
Joe Bryan – (On for Cavaleiro 84’) N/A. AFP
“I think now everything is damaged and everyone has to be working, and we have the responsibility sitting here and you guys there, to rebuild that trust and put football back in the right place.”
Arteta believes everyone was taught a lesson about how much fans’ views matter. He added: “It shows the importance of football in the world. And it shows that the soul of this sport belongs to the fans. During this pandemic, for a year, we’ve been trying to sustain this industry with no fans in the stadium.
"But when the fans have to come out and talk they do it really loud and clear and they sent probably the strongest message that has ever been sent in the football world. So that is a massive statement for the history of football. We have to listen to them. We put it out and within 24 hours they killed the project.”
Arteta admitted the Premier League’s Big Six could face legal action, adding: “I don’t know the legal details. Obviously, when you act and make the decisions, there are always consequences.”
Arsenal host Everton, who are above them in the table but were not in the Super League, on Friday night. Arteta will be without Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang while Martin Odegaard faces a fitness test.
